"The upper echelon of Dallas is headed to Legacy West from doctors to lawyers to developers," Gromatzky told the Dallas Business Journal. "People who have made a lot of money up north, but have always been in Dallas wanted to be in the building. We have no doubt it will draw from all over from the companies up there. We think it's a slam dunk."

He declined to share the names of would-be residents at Windrose Tower, but said for many it would be a second home in North Texas.

Only that they are both under construction. I believe the residential tower that is furthest along is the one across from Legacy West on the east side, last time I saw that one it was up about 7-8 floors.

Only that they are both under construction. I believe the residential tower that is furthest along is the one across from Legacy West on the east side, last time I saw that one it was up about 7-8 floors.

Except, in this case, the political climate in Legacy West/Plano won't be as protest heavy. I mean I am sure if anything shows any sign of possibility Trump protesters will show up somewhere and cause a fit but I don't think the city government up there cares enough to turn down such a development.

This place is going to be a huge success with all the businesses nearby and all the traffic the area already gets. I'm quite jealous we don't have something of this caliber in the city. The Farmer's Market is close, but it doesn't seem like there are any plans to expand beyond the current setup aside from adding more residential?

I had dinner at the North Italia on Wednesday and the whole area was pretty busy considering it was just a random Wednesday. I know Legacy West was a MASSIVE project, but, now that's it's wrapping up, I honestly feel like they could have gone so much bigger. It's still very new, but it's already very lively, and that will only increase in the coming year. I'm not sure how the apartments/condos are faring, but, from a retail/restaurant point of view, they definitely could have added more.

What's worse is the whole thing is very 'closed-in', so, even if they were to build more on the JCPenny campus, it wouldn't connect very well. Chase has already built a very suburban style bank on the southeast corner of the JCPenny lot. It's small, but doesn't fit in with Legacy West at all.

This could have been phase 1 of a very lively and massive urban core for the north, but, with everything being isolated from each other, it'll continue to be a 'commuter' area for most people. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from the suburbs, but I honestly think the potential is there. They could pull off something much bigger than Legacy West, but that would require different developers working together and coming up with a plan that connects each of these areas.

I know this one's been rumored to open anytime now (currently November 6th I believe), but does anyone think it will be open by the end of this year? I've got to imagine the coordination for all the vendors/etc is quite an undertaking.

I'm hoping this becomes a big attraction, as it would provide a standard for everyone-and-their-dog who is shoehorning "food hall" into their development press releases.

Dean & DeLuca, the famed foodie store with roots in Manhattan, is pulling back expansion plans that included a store in Plano's Legacy West urban village.

"Dean & DeLuca president Laura Lendrum said the decision has to do with a shift in the retailer's business goals and not with Legacy West. Developer Fehmi Karahan has created "a top tier retail and residential environment," she said in a prepared statement."As we look to 2018 and beyond, we are re-evaluating our retail portfolio along with our overall growth objectives," Lendrum said, who is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and has also worked at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. "We have decided we will not be expanding our retail footprint at this time, but instead renewing our focus on our existing retail operations as well as our digital operations." The retailer has 12 stores in the U.S. and several more in 10 countries.It seems that Lendrum, who has 20 years experience at luxury retailing and came to Dean & DeLuca in May from Ralph Lauren, is picking up some pieces. Dean & DeLuca has notified Colonial Country Club and the PGA Tour that it may be unable to meet its financial obligations for tournament sponsorship in 2018. The Fort Worth Star -Telegram first reported that news last week saying the announcement comes after only two years of Dean & DeLuca's six-year event sponsorship commitment. "While we are disappointed not to have Dean & DeLuca as part of our project, we understand their internal corporate issues and need to allocate apparently scarce financial resources to their digital platform," Karahan said.The original Dean & DeLuca opened in 1977 in New York's SoHo neighborhood. Giorgio DeLuca claimed the store was the first to bring radicchio, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes and dried mushrooms to the U.S. The brand expanded outside of the U.S. in 2003 with a store in Japan and now has stores in Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates."

tamtagon wrote:There's a crystal ball over here, and I cannot be for sure, but I think the prophesy mentioned Dean & DeLuca on Ross Avenue, or something like that.

Nah, I think they'll put a Dean & DeLuca in the new terminal Delta builds for its global hub operations at DFW Airport

The emphasis is on SkyTeam much more than Delta... as much Aeromexico and Aerolineas Argentinas and China Airlines. Delta will expand out of DFW to cover more US destinations for it's international partners. The more Texas and the South Central US grow, the more likely SkyTeam and will find an airport in the area to expand. With Dallas leading the redefinition of North American commerce, SkyTeam will expand DFW Airport.

tamtagon wrote:There's a crystal ball over here, and I cannot be for sure, but I think the prophesy mentioned Dean & DeLuca on Ross Avenue, or something like that.

Nah, I think they'll put a Dean & DeLuca in the new terminal Delta builds for its global hub operations at DFW Airport

The emphasis is on SkyTeam much more than Delta... as much Aeromexico and Aerolineas Argentinas and China Airlines. Delta will expand out of DFW to cover more US destinations for it's international partners. The more Texas and the South Central US grow, the more likely SkyTeam and will find an airport in the area to expand. With Dallas leading the redefinition of North American commerce, SkyTeam will expand DFW Airport.

Dean & DeLuca never made any sense to me going into Legacy, not their demographic. Highland Park Village, McKinney and Olive...maybe. Oh well it sounds like they are under the Amazon effect and going online like everything else.

"After two years of construction, North Texas’ latest major corporate campus is nearly ready to open in Plano, with thousands of employees from insurance giant Liberty Mutual set to start moving in in January.

When they arrive, the employees will find two new, 19-story towers as part of the $325 million development just off Dallas North Tollway."

tamtagon wrote:...so, this is an enclosed food court built into the open air shopping mall?

Yup, this is a food court with minor differences that 99% of people would careless about located in an open-air shopping center pretending to be a walkable neighborhood development. There is no Jamba Juice, Sabrao or Panda Express either.

Real food halls are not. This is a food court. A real food hall as the term was initially used would include both prepared food vendors and produce/dairies/butchers/bakeries vendors. They would not include as much seating either. The term is trendy now though for any upscale food court.

bshiker wrote:Real food halls are not. This is a food court. A real food hall as the term was initially used would include both prepared food vendors and produce/dairies/butchers/bakeries vendors. They would not include as much seating either. The term is trendy now though for any upscale food court.

Agreed, and I feel like the definition is being expanded more to include essentially any strip center with more than one restaurant. There was a development announced recently in the Colony that was labelled a "food hall" and it was just a handful of connected restaurants.

I went to the food hall around dinner time last night and the place was jam packed. Not nearly enough seating space for the amount people there, and there was barely enough walking space half the time I was there. To be fair, there were outdoor eating spaces, but, because it was cold out tonight, most people were indoors, making the congestion problem worse. Also, I know they have plans to open an outdoor area with a stage and a lot of seating, so, once that part opens, it will help with the congestion issues.

The building was three floors, but the majority of food was all on the ground floor downstairs, which I thought was weird. The second floor had a bar and a lobster place, and the top floor had another bar with a pretzel place (I think?).

I think this place will definitely be a hit, especially around lunch time with all the businesses nearby, I just hope it doesn't always get as packed as it was last.

I was at the food hall today during lunch and it was packed. It's comparable to the Farmers Market shed since most of the food stalls are on the first level. The second and third levels were mostly seating so the whole "food hall vibe" gets lost once you go up. Overall, it feels like a nice mall food court.

So I went to the Food Hall a few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon... Gotta say, not all that impressed for all the hype and delays this thing went through. First, it's a cashless food hall so don't take cash with you. I think maybe I was expecting something different. As others mentioned, pretty much all the eateries are on the first level in a big circle. There's very little walking room in the corridor and some of the busier stalls back up traffic. There's really not that much seating unless you make your way up the 3rd level which was fairly empty. There are bars on every level but nothing too exciting about them. Unless I'm aiming for something somewhat quick eat, I'd much rather eat at the handful of restaurants right outside the door...

This will be a popular place but it's not really in the spirit of a true food hall like you would find in Europe. In Europe, the stalls are usually not run by chain restaurants. They might be a small family run shop that sells one thing or a handful of things that they specialize in and make really well. The Mercado San Miguel in Madrid comes to mind as a fantastic example of this. One stall might sell a small assortment of tapas, another just wine, another a small selection of fresh seafood, another baked goods, Another just oysters, another just empanadas, etc. You graze from one stall to another, having a bit here and a bit there. Legacy Food Hall just seems like a food court but run by nice restaurants rather than fast food.

If we get a true food hall in Dallas, I hope they would take a different approach and more like the ones in Europe. Maybe the city could build one and offer micro-retail spaces to prospective small business owners. Micro-retail spaces can really empower hopeful entrepreneurs. I envision things like a lady in South Oak Cliff known for her tamales opening a stall, or someone who makes great desserts, or a Korean chef that makes awesome bibimbap bowls.

I was at the Grand Central Market about a month ago, and it's one of the things that kept surprising me of downtown LA. There are all these cool markets, stores, and restaurants in the middle of what people might describe as a ghetto downtown.

I was at the food Hall over the holidays on a Saturday. Took friends and it was very busy but also very easy to manuever. The one thing we noticed is that while the food hall was packed all of the other restuarants outside on the strip were almost empty. Not sure how all of this will play out but I am glad I don't own one of those restaurants based on that day.

Cbdallas wrote:I was at the food Hall over the holidays on a Saturday. Took friends and it was very busy but also very easy to manuever. The one thing we noticed is that while the food hall was packed all of the other restuarants outside on the strip were almost empty. Not sure how all of this will play out but I am glad I don't own one of those restaurants based on that day.

Cbdallas wrote:I was at the food Hall over the holidays on a Saturday. Took friends and it was very busy but also very easy to manuever. The one thing we noticed is that while the food hall was packed all of the other restuarants outside on the strip were almost empty. Not sure how all of this will play out but I am glad I don't own one of those restaurants based on that day.

I'm sure weather had a lot to do with it.

I've spent the week up in Plano and from what I've seen, despite the frigid weather the restaurants have been pretty packed. Haywire, Shake Shack, North Italia, Earl's, and Legacy Hall were all very busy.

The Tommy Bahamas restaurant wasn't looking too hot though, but most of their seating is outdoors, so surely that has something to do with it.

Just noticed a couple of nights ago, between the Toyota office complex and Spring Creek, a sign in front of a worksite announcing Toyota of Plano is moving their dealership there by next winter.

Up to now, the Toyota place has been at Preston/Bush Turnpike. Guess it'll be interesting to see what kind of re-purposing will happen there (the site of former neighbor Park Place Lexus became an apartment complex, a Jack in the Box, and a PDQ restaurant after Park Place's move).

I have to admit... I was quite impressed with the place when I visited a week ago. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think having one of these in the CBD would perform even better, and put the final nail in the coffin of the tunnel eateries.

PDQ restaurant is closing. Their bold expansion and giant restaurants for a place that only sold fried chicken tenders was only slightly less crazy than Pollo Tropical's. Which was right across the street for all of 6 months before they closed.

muncien wrote:I have to admit... I was quite impressed with the place when I visited a week ago. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think having one of these in the CBD would perform even better, and put the final nail in the coffin of the tunnel eateries.

I've always thought this was kind of the idea behind the revamp of the Farmers Market, not sure if that qualifies as being in the CBD though.